1. Set Real Expectations

If you are looking for ways to improve your mother-daughter relationship, you need to have real expectations. If your relationship is strained, it's important to realize that you cannot change it overnight. A good relationship is going to take some time. If there have been some major issues that have caused a lot of damage to your relationship, you will need to address those issues before you can start to build a better relationship.

2. Agree to Disagree

Just like with other relationship, there is likely to be disagreements between mothers and daughters. If there is something that you both completely disagree on, it may be best to agree to disagree. There have been many things that my mom and I have disagreed about. I have learned that if it's something that we are both very adamant about, arguing will not fix it and that we are better to just let it go and focus on something else. I know that there are times when this does not work and you have to work through a disagreement.

3. Practice Forgiveness

In most mother-daughter relationships, there are times when one or both of you will have hard feelings. I know that there have been times in my life when my mom has hurt my feelings. I realize that she is human and that I have made many mistakes in our relationship, as well. I've also realized that if I want to have a good relationship with my mom, then I have to try to forgive her and hope that she will forgive me, too. It's also important to forgive yourself for things that you feel you've done wrong.

4. Make Your Relationship a Priority

If you are really serious about improving your mother-daughter relationship, you must make it a priority. Perhaps you could suggest things that the both of you could do together. You could make plans to go shopping, go out to dinner, or go to a movie. If you decide to do an activity together, be sure that it's one that both of you will enjoy. Don't schedule a shopping trip if you hate to shop. This could cause you to dread the time you've set aside to nurture your mother-daughter relationship.

5. Find a Balance That Works

Some mothers and daughters are best friends and spend most of their free time together. There are also mother-daughter relationships that work best if they only speak to one another every couple of weeks. Some mother-daughter duos are comfortable talking about everything. Others feel that they are better to keep their conversations lighthearted. It's important to find a balance that works for your relationship.

6. Realize That It Takes Two

A successful relationship cannot be one sided. To have a good mother-daughter relationship, both of you will have to want it to be successful. If you're currently in a one sided relationship, perhaps you could start a conversation about wanting to improve your current relationship. Once the conversation is started, you could make some simple suggestions on how to start working on the relationship. Be sure that both of you agree on the steps you will take to improve your relationship.

7. Don't Compare Your Relationship to Others

This is one tip that I use both in my marriage and in my relationship with my mom. It is never a good idea to compare your mother-daughter relationship to other people's relationships. Even though it may look like another mother-daughter duo has a perfect relationship, they probably don't. In fact, their relationship problems may be far worse than yours. Comparing your relationship can also cause even bigger problems for you.

Taking the time to improve relationships with the people we love can be hard work, but it's worth it. Are you currently trying to improve a relationship in your life? I would love to hear how your experience is going.